Eighteen Years Later
by StolenSouls
Summary: Caroline raises Hayley's daughter on her own after the chaos that hit Mystic Falls...only to receive an unexpected visit 18 years later.
1. Chapter 1

_I wrote this in between the Season 4 finale and TVD Season 5/TO Season 1 (Stefan is still in the lake, Hayley hasn't given birth, Bonnie's dead, etc.). I found this recently on my drive, it was intended to be a full length fic, but I never got to completing it. Here's the first chapter._

 _(Caroline has raised Klaus's daughter after graduation.)_

"Turn to the right Mom."

Caroline rolled her eyes at her before complying. Henrika was so similar to her biological mother in appearance but quite the opposite in personality. Black hair waved down to her waist framed her pale face and striking blue eyes. In some ways she reminded Caroline of herself at a younger age-a constant perfectionist trying to do her best.

But Henrika's temper-when it struck, it was terrifying. Her eyes would almost blacken, her whole body would shake as if attempting to change itself-and then stop. Her voice would sometimes rise to a scream, causing Caroline to yell back and put her daughter in her place. It was as if he-no Caroline, would not think of _him_.

"Seriously?! Mom stop moving your face I'm almost done!"

"Fine!" Caroline remember the first time she actually considered not taking her in. Hayley had just knocked on the Lockwood mansion. She was sprawled on the porch, blood pouring from between her legs. In her arms was the bloody mass that Caroline had raised for the past eighteen years.

Caroline had only starred, as Hayley cried out. Here was the girl responsible for the slaughter of twelve hybrids, the girl who had taken Tyler from her, the person who had indirectly turned Caroline's life upside down.

 _She cast a spell...I was supposed to die this whole time. Her name is Henrika_. _I'm sorry for_ everything _. Just help her...Please._

It was the last word that did all the convincing. That was Tyler speaking to her. Not Hayley.

But that was when all the plans went sprawling out of the window. No college, no more late night fun. Caroline had chosen to run, run from her past in Mystic Falls. She ran to the most obscure place she could think of, a place with a population small enough that she could know every face by heart.

Strawberry, California. West Coast. Population less than six-thousand. _Small town_ as Klaus would call it. _No_ -she must not think about Klaus, then she would start wondering about where he was and what he was doing and how Henrika's dimples and cheekbones coincidentally resembled his.

Small town. But not small enough so Henrika would be alone.

Hayley had said _"She cast a spell..._ " Caroline had tried guessing _everyone_ who could be the _she_ but there were little choices. The only witch she knew was Bonnie and she was dead. Caroline had cut everyone out from her past: Stefan, Elena, Jeremy, and Tyler. All for Henrika. Tyler had offered to help her but she said no. If the " _she"_ was still after Henrika, Tyler's life would be on the line as well.

But Stefan had hurt the most. After their friendship, after the bond they shared, Stefan had never bothered to track her down for eighteen years. No message, no text, nothing. Caroline still received occasional messages from Tyler-messages of longing to reconcile. Yet she never had the will to respond. Part of her past life had died with Hayley. Now there was no turning back.

Even if it meant pretending that Stefan's indifference didn't hurt.

"All right you're free!" Henrika grinned at her, before cleaning up her art supplies. She held up several tubes of paint: "Do you prefer blonde hair or red Mom?"

"I'm fine being a blonde."

"Okay," Henrika was enjoying herself, "See you in..two hours?" She ran down the basement, eager to start a new project.

Caroline smiled after her. Henrika was so curious-too curious. She remembered the time when Henrika was ten and had angrily confronted her after reading Caroline's diaries. There were witches and vampires in the world? Vampires couldn't procreate? Her mother was a vampire?

Caroline hated that day. It was a day filled with lies she had to feed Henrika. Luckily her diaries stopped around the time Klaus had left Mystic Falls-graduation. She remembered the story she concocted on the spot to satisfy Henrika's anger.

 _I'm not your biological mother Henrika though I try to be. I'm a vampire. My friend Bonnie-Bonnie Bennett. She was your mother Henrika. She died when you were born. I never knew for certain who your father was._

But the only consolation-if any-was that the last part was true.

The knocking at the door that day was subtle, but Caroline got the shock of her life when she saw who it was.

"Hello Caroline."

Caroline only stared. He hadn't changed at all-he was exactly as depicted in her memories: stubble and smirk. Except this time, she was reminded again about how Henrika-for some reason-seemed to mimic him at certain moments.

Then she looked at him.

He wasn't the man who kissed her on the cheek at graduation. Nor was he the man who pushed her against the tree kissing her like no tomorrow. Rather than suiting up, his attire was casual: a Henley and jeans. His hair was ruffled and there were wrinkles on his clothes. His voice when he greeted her sounded cracked meaning only one thing-he hadn't fed in a while.

"I need your help."

Caroline just laughed, "Now what do you need from me?"

Klaus scowled at her-if anything, eighteen years had made him grouchier than he used to be. "Can you show me some manners and let me inside? Before I start throwing objects and burning the house down that is."

"Actually-"

"And it seems, I don't need to be invited," he said, smirking as he entered, "So why don't we skip the small talk and get to it, shall we?"

Caroline groaned. Fine, if he was going to play sweet, so was she. She arranged two bottles of champagne in the living room, ignoring Klaus's repeated comments about how the house was abnormally small and how she could be exploring the world instead. Thank goodness Henrika was in the basement, overly focused on finishing her mother's portrait. Hopefully, Klaus would get what he wanted and leave.

But if she were to have this conversation, she was going to have it sober. Caroline poured two glasses of champagne in the few wine glasses she owned, toasting his glass just to humor him but refusing to take a sip.

"I thought that was our thing."

"We didn't have a thing, and we will _never_ have a thing." Caroline forced herself not to waiver as she said this. "Let's screw the honeymoon talk and get to the point- _what do you want Klaus_?"

"To find my child."

Caroline's eyebrows shot straight up her forehead. Had she heard correctly? "Child?"

"Well, after eighteen years it seems it's no longer a child. But yes." Caroline forced herself to arrange her face in an expression of contempt rather than the shock and betrayal she actually felt. So it was true-all her random speculations, all her theories. She swallowed and somehow managed to talk.

"Sorry if I look like a dumb blonde to you but I'm not as stupid as you think. Vampire's can have kids-"

"Oh but werewolves can."

"And you're half-werewolf..." she trailed off, putting it together, "So tell me Klaus. Which absent-minded idiot did you pay to enter your bed?" The minute she said those words, she regretted it. What was wrong with her? Hadn't she been wanting this moment for such a long time? Here he was finally at _her_ door, and all she was doing was spitting cruelty at his face.

"I didn't pay anyone love. But tell me something first. Weren't you the girl begging that football quarterback-Matt isn't it-to enter your bed? Clearly you should be asking yourself that question."

"That was a lifetime ago."

"Was it?"

"Cut the crap, who was it?"

"Your ex-boyfriend's wolf girl."

Luckily Caroline hadn't drunk any champagne-otherwise she would have choked on it. "Hayley?" she said, unsuccessfully trying to hide the hurt in her voice. "So you knocked her up? And then left the child to rot?"

"When Hayley delivered, the witch Sophie cast a spell. It was powerful enough to cost her her life. It rendered me, Elijah, and Rebekah unconscious. When we woke, the witch was dead, and Hayley gone."

 _The witch_. _The she_. _The girl Hayley mentioned. All this running for nothing._ Caroline struggled to prevent her growing anger and frustration from surfacing.

But Henrika-the girl in her house for eighteen years was her admirer's daughter. All this time-she had known it. She _saw_ Klaus's face on her daughter yet denied it to herself. All this time she was denying the truth.

It was so _obvious_ this whole time. Henrik-Henrika-wasn't he Klaus's dead brother? Didn't Henrika have Klaus's artistic taste? The best and worst of Klaus was all over his daughter and here was Caroline refusing to accept it.

And Henrika would hate her for it. But she would stay safe. If Caroline could lure Klaus out of the house, Henrika could escape.

Caroline tried to keep her voice as leveled as possible. "So you just happened to go searching after eighteen years?"

"The child was better off with whoever it landed with."

"You left Hayley to die?!" Caroline knew to expect little of him, but this crossed the line.

"I had no idea where she landed."

"Don't try to play dumb Klaus. You know you could've tracked her down if you tried. Just get a witch to do a locator spell"

"How do you think I landed here?"

"So what do you want?"

"Your help. In finding the child."

Caroline gave him the dirtiest glare she had ever delivered-and that was saying something given her experiences with Damon Salvatore. "She's probably better off without you."

Klaus's eyes narrowed, and for a second Caroline was sure he was going to tear her larynx out. He got out of his chair, bent down in front of her, her face inches away from his. He said in a low tone, "Funny you say that-I never once did mention that the child was a girl."

For once she was struck dumb. Caroline's mouth opened and closed itself repeatedly in a span of seconds. Klaus stared at her with fire in his eyes; for once, Caroline was actually afraid of him.

"Let's not play games, love. There's something you haven't been telling me since I entered. Now what is it-fess up?" Caroline grips the arms of her chair tightly. She'd rather go to hell then voice her suspicions. He bent down to stroke the side of Caroline's head, breathing slowly enough so that Caroline could feel the warmth along her neck, whispering in her ear, syllable by syllable, "You know I don't like liars. Don't test-"

Whatever Klaus was saying was interrupted with a blur of blue and a loud banging sound as he was pushed backward into the television set. Henrika had entered the scene and channeled all the power she had straight straight into a hooked punch at the strange man threatening her mother. Glass shattered throughout the room, causing Henrika's hair to glisten with pieces of the remainders of the TV.

But she paid it no attention. "What the _bloody_ hell's going on?"

Caroline was on her feet within seconds and grabbed her daughter's hand. "Henrika...please, just stay in your room. Just for a few minutes okay?"

Klaus had flashed back in an instant, standing in between the two. "Caroline who is this girl?"

"My-my daughter. Henrika, you heard me."

" _Henrika?_ " Klaus was panting-for a minute, Caroline would've guessed he had taken the cure and became human.

"Mom-what? This lunatic was threatening you!"

"Caroline, what did you not tell me?" Klaus's voice was mixed with anger now.

"Wait tell what?" Henrika rounded up on Klaus, "I don't know why you're here, but get the _hell_ away from my mother."

"Henrika, NOW!" Caroline's exclamation silenced the whole room. Never had Henrika-or Klaus for the matter-heard Caroline lose control like this. Fuming, Henrika turned back toward the basement, only to have her crop top slide off her shoulder, exposing the birthmark she had occasionally scrutinized in the bathroom mirror, but otherwise thought little of.

One moment Klaus had his ground. Then he was recoiling, reeling, gripping the dining table so hard the wood began to crack. " _Caroline-who is this girl's mother?_ "

"Bonnie Bennett," replied Henrika, "Now get the hell out of our house." She faced Caroline, only to see her mother's face fall. She was looking uncertain as if trying to decide something.

Henrika always knew when her mother was lying. "Mom?" she said, trying to get a response.

Caroline gave her a painful look. She stepped forward, gently putting a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

Klaus looked uncomfortable, as if he was interrupting an intimate conversation: "Caroline, who-"

"Hayley," she breathed, not taking her eyes off Henrika.

Henrika's eyes widened and she stumbled back, inhaling and exhaling, as if the air in the room was crushing her lungs. She saw the pages she had read as a child in her mother's diaries. She saw her mother's neck behind snapped in the Mystic Grill's restroom.. She saw the man standing in front of her biting her mother's neck, feeding her blood, confessing his love for her. She saw her mother saying goodbye to Tyler Lockwood.

All in the diaries she had mistaken for fiction.

But how did it all matter to this man then? Hayley was unrelated to him. Unaffiliated. Unless...

He was half werewolf and fickle in temperament.

And he had _her_ eyes, the light blue eyes, so unlike Caroline's or Hayley's. And the cheekbones, the facial structure, everything Henrika had seen in the mirror for eighteen years was on this man's face.

"How long did you know Mom?"

"Henrika-"

" _How long?!"_

Caroline bit her lip, trying to avoid Henrika's glare. At last she said, "Since Hayley handed you to me."

Henrika turned to Klaus. The man who was suddenly running to their door to claim her. And here he was trying to play hero. The shock in her body was quickly being replaced by rage. Henrika moved forward, "I have nothing to say to you. Leave."

"Henrika-"

"You lied to me?!" Henrika turned on Caroline now-until now Caroline could never truly believe that the girl she had raised all these years was Hayley's.

She did now.

"No I didn't!" Caroline was trying to push back the emotions taking over. "I wasn't 100% sure who your father was until now. Henrika please-"

"But you just happened to forget that my mother was a werewolf? Small detail I guess."

"I wanted to protect you!" Caroline knelt to her feet and took her daughter's hands in her own, "I didn't want any of this for you-it nearly got me killed, I just didn't want this life for you."

Henrika only gave her a look that Caroline would never forget and turned to her father.

"Get out."

Klaus moved his mouth to say something, but Caroline cut him off. " _Enough_ ," said Caroline. Eighteen years of raising a baby had given her a maternal backbone that not even Klaus could counter. She turned to her daughter; she was no longer Caroline at the moment, she was Mom.

"Henrika, go to the basement right now."

"Mom he's already tried to kill you two times and God knows what he'll do if he doesn't get his way."

"I think I'll know when my life's in danger. Basement. Now." She could hear Henrika raging as she stormed down the stairs. Caroline closed her eyes for a minute, trying to calm herself, before turning to Klaus.

"Interesting choice of a name."

"Hayley picked it-not me."

"And you stuck to it."

"I have some amount of respect for the dead. Unlike a few people."

"If you're angry with me love, don't expect me to apologize-"

Caroline laughed-it was the natural reaction. She might have killed witches and fought wolves years ago, but changing diapers had given her a strength: the resolve of being a parent.

"Seriously? You expect me to be mad that the guy who killed my ex-boyfriend's mother and threatened everyone I cared about was so desperate to get laid that he went after one of Katherine's bitches?" There was something satisfying about letting it out this way-she wanted to see him helpless under her words. She wanted to crush him in every way possible.

"If you want to stay, fine." Caroline shrugged, "Let Henrika know who her father is. But let's make something clear-if under the influence of one of your crazy mood swings, you happen to snap and so much as _touch_ her-you'll regret the day you first met me."

Klaus moved forward until he was inches away from Caroline; it took all her willpower not to spit in his face.

"Hayley was not about you."

"Of course she wasn't. Hayley was about _you_. Trying to get some control in your life. And Henrika's the product of that. Well fine-try to break me as much as you want, but you will _not_ break her heart."

"On the contrary-I'm here to save it."

"Wait what?"

"Tell her to come and talk to me."

Caroline took a step forward toward the basement-only to turn around in anger. "No," she said nonchalantly, " _you_ will go down and talk to her."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "As you wish, love. But I think you might want to hear what I say first"

* * *

"You paint?"

"Go away, I'm busy." Klaus smirked; Henrika had her adoptive mother's perfectionism, not to mention snark. If it weren't for her facial structure and artistic hands, Klaus would never had realized she was his creation.

"If you move the tip to the right, you'll get a thicker stroke."

"You know, why don't you skip the art advising and start hunting for dinner already? It's what you do best, isn't it?"

Klaus scowled-he had expected her to be floored-charmed at the very least. Rather, she had done what Caroline had done all those years and chosen to look at him as she would a toilet seat.

"You ought to show more respect toward your elders love."

"Yeah well generally the elders in my life don't lock people in coffins after arguments. Besides, it's not like you're in the mood for lasagna or something."

"How much did Caroline tell-"

Henrika turned to him. The rage boiling within her burned any filter she might have had when it came to her language. All she wanted to do was hurt, inflict pain upon the man who betrayed her mother repeatedly and was suddenly running to her for unknown reasons. "You know, funnily enough, she didn't say anything. She's actually your number one fan at this point. I just happened to snoop into her rooms and read her diaries. But just answer one question-how did she forgive you after you tried to kill her twice?"

"She tried to kill me quite a few times herself."

"And you still long for her?" Klaus said nothing, only giving her a disdainful look. "You know sweetheart, I have quite the temper. You'd be wise not to push me."

Henrika only grinned at him and walked forward, till her face was inches away from his. "What will you do? Rip my heart out? Or drain all the blood out of my body? Or maybe you'll compel me to shut up. Well guess what _Niklaus_ -have at it! Go ahead and destroy the last of your blood. In the end, I'll get the last laugh."

"Keep on talking love, and I might just rip your tongue out."

"I guess I get my tongue from _you_ , dear father. Along with my temper...well I guess that's a wolf thing isn't it." She smiled at him, before stepping even closer.

"Look Klaus _._ I get it. You now have some crazy werewolf baby you have to deal with. But honestly, I know you don't want to do this, and frankly, I don't either. So unless you have something useful to say, _go away_."

"Henrika," Caroline's voice called out from the basement door, causing Henrika to jump in surprise, "just hear him out for ten minutes."

"No." Henrika gave her father a glare drenched in hatred, causing Klaus to wonder if he was looking at the mirror.

"Fine," said Caroline, "do this for _me_."

Henrika tried not to look at her. "You lied to me."

"I did. Ever wondered why?"

"To keep me from finding out that my dad was a serial killing lunatic." Klaus opened his mouth, looking annoyed, but Caroline silenced him with a look. She looked toward the front door and turned back to Klaus.

"If you want to grab dinner, now's your chance. Come back soon." Klaus got the message, shaking his head at them both and exiting the house. Caroline waited until he left and turned back to her daughter.

"I know you're pissed," said Caroline. Her voice wasn't aggressive or accusatory-rather it was sad. Henrika approached her, trying to keep her voice as levelled as possible.

"I-I was," she said, "But then...I thought...you could've gone to college, explored the world, did all that stuff."

"Henrika, it doesn't matter, what matters is that-"

"No," Henrika shook her head, her eyes never leaving her mothers'. "It _does_ matter. It matters that even though my mom snapped your neck, you took me in. And I know that you suspected something. About Klaus somehow being my dad-I'm not that blind mom," she said, smirking at Caroline's surprised expression. "I know you knew-you just were denying it. And I want to be mad and I want to hate you but-you gave up-college, hot guys-everything! For me. And it's just...I mean we've been running for so long and you've been running with me and I-" Henrika stepped back slightly and stared at her, almost nodding.

 _Just like her father_.

"I just-I'm not-I never realized that someone actually wanted me." Henrika turned her face away from Caroline-she didn't want to show her tears.

Caroline said nothing, only wrapped her arms around her daughter and held her for a minute, kissing Henrika lightly on the head while she attempted to stop herself from breaking down. They remained in that position until Klaus returned half an hour later, causing them to awkwardly break apart. From the smell of him, Caroline knew that dinner was not on his agenda tonight-clearly discretion was one of his priorities.

"Apologies for breaking up this..moment so to speak," said Klaus from the door, "but you might want to know why I'm here."

"You know child support stops at age eighteen."

" _Henrika_ -"

"Fine, sorry Mom. Why are you here anyways?"

Klaus explained the story of Henrika's birth, trying to ignore her scowl. "When Sophie took you and transported you with Hayley, she hung herself soon after."

"Props to her. Didn't want to deal with your tantrums I'm assuming. Speaking of which why-" Henrika was cut off by a glare from her mother. Normally, a frown from Caroline would shut her up. This time however, it was lasers directed from her eyeballs.

But the interesting part was shock wasn't running through Henrika's body; it was anger again, anger at being lied to, anger of being betrayed, anger of having a crazy half-werewolf half-vampire as a father.

"When Hayley died in childbirth, you would have activated the curse. Your birth partially caused her death."

"Wait so-why am I not a werewolf?"

"We don't know," said Caroline, "We think Sophie might have done something-but we don't know what."

"I recently discovered that the Deveraux family were worshippers of Silas. They hoped for him to rise again and unleash hell on earth."

"Wait-what are you saying?"

Klaus turned to Caroline, looking uncomfortable. Caroline knelt besides Henrika and pulled her hands into hers.

"Silas was thrown into the falls eighteen years ago. But there was a prophecy, saying there would be one who would be his undoing. The creation of the major supernatural species: hybrid, witch werewolf, vampire, and doppelganger. Someone mistaken as dead would rise again."

"How does this affect me? I'm not even-"

"I created you. Hayley gave birth to you. Sophie did something to you to prevent you from turning. Caroline raised you."

Henrika laughed; it was the natural reaction. "You forget the doppelganger part. Doesn't apply here."

"The doppelganger's blood turned me into a vampire and later a hybrid."

"Silas is _desiccated_! He's as good as dead according to you!"

"As I thought. Until your mother came casually walking into New Orleans one day, promising me an extraordinary amount of pain if I didn't give him what she wanted."

"My mom never left Strawberry-"

"Exactly. Seems Silas isn't as dead as I thought."

"So Silas wants me? He wanted you to give me to him as a consolation gift after bringing hell on earth failed?"

"I am not exactly a fan of Silas," said Klaus, slightly grinning at her, "My sanity is a priority, yes, but so is your mother's happiness."

Henrika couldn't control herself-he didn't give a damn about her, he was just showing up at her front door to play Papa Klaus. "So basically, you're telling me that Kol was the hero of this story - wasn't he? Bet he's doing an "I told you so" dance on the other side."

" _Henrika-_ "

" _No Mom!"_ Henrika was losing it. Why couldn't her mother see what she did? Turning on Klaus, she raged, "Why don't you go back to picking fights with everyone? This dumb prophecy doesn't even affect you."

"You're the one destined to end Silas, Henrika," said Caroline, acting as if Henrika hadn't uttered a word. "Against all odds, you were born. You're the creation of a witch, werewolf, vampire, _and_ hybrid."

Klaus couldn't shut up: "Which means you can stop being so stubborn and get down to work. Or I could just knock you out long enough to get you out of here."

Henrika opened her mouth to utter a stream of swear words that would have her mother rolling, but shut it, choosing to give her father a final look of disgust. " _Rot_ _in_ _hell_ " she seethed as she stormed into her bedroom.

Caroline sighed, resting her face in her hands. It had been a long day. "She'll come around."

Klaus scoffed at her. "Really? Will she even listen to a word I said?"

"I'm certain," Caroline looked at him and smiled for the first time the whole day, "She's more like me than you."


	2. Note

_Wow, I didn't expect such a following. I know author's notes are annoying, but I'm wondering a few things, since I'm considering continuing this: does the story make sense so far? Is there any feedback I should know, given that I haven't watched S5 and 6 of TVD and S1-2 of The Originals? Please let me know :-)_


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